Merchandising display tower



June 30, 1964 w. E. WENTZ MERCHANDISING DISPLAY TOWER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed May 1, 1963 June 30, 1964 w. E. WENTZ 3,139,135

.MERCHANDISING DISPLAY TOWER Filed May 1, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ohio Filed May 1, 1963, Ser. No. 277,1868 Claims. (Cl. 211-14) This invention relates to improvements infountaintype bulk display racks and, more particularly, to a sectionaltype, which is readily collapsible for shipment and storage but issturdy and stable when filled with merchandise for display. It isintended for the display of play or sport balls of spherical orspheroidal contour or other items which are completely or relativelyunstable when piled in bulk.

In the retail sale of items such as toy play balls, it has long been thepractice to display them for sale in bulk and without packaging (otherthan for some more readily soiled items, a thin, tight wrapping oftransparent film). This practice permits the prospective retail customerto see the item and saves packaging costs by permitting the balls to beshipped in bulk. Unfortunately, and especially in self-service stores,the practice also permits handling and consequent soiling of themerchandise by the customers and, when the items are relatively small,shop-lifting. From the merchants point of view, the stands, containers,bins, and the like which have been heretofore used also have one or moreof the following faults: (a) A relatively large amount of floor orcounter space per unit of merchandise is occupied; (b) items may bereadily inaccessible to the customer and few are actually displayed; (0)the display units may require excessive time and attention of clerks tokeep them relatively filled; (d) if the items are relatively accessibleto the customer, they are also readily replaced upon reconsideration ofan impulse to purchase; (e) the display means, unless expensive andbulky counters, shelves, or cases are used, :are generally eitherrelatively unsightly bins and baskets or racks or stands which areflimsy in fact and appearance.

A display made according to the present invention largely avoids theforegoing objections to prior art display devices and has the followingadvantages:

(1) It displays a large volume of merchandise with a low ratio of floorand counter space per unit of merchandise.

(2) Though light in weight and collapsible to a small volume forshipment and storage, the display is readily erected and, in use, issturdy and stable in fact and appearance.

(3) The merchandise is readily accessible, but as an individual item isremoved from the display, sufiicient motion is frequently created in themajor volume of the merchandise to discourage shop-lifting and, once anitem is removed, it is usually relatively difiicult for a purchaser toreplace it in the display.

(4) As a highly visible and prominent display in most stores, it alsoserves as its own indicator of the need for replacement of merchandiseby stock clerks, who may quickly refill the display.

The manner in which this invention achieves the foregoing objects andadvantages and other objects and advantages of this invention should beapparent from the following specification, claims, and drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a display rack accordingto this invention; elements of the display which would appear in thebackground are broken away to avoid confusion; the relative diameters ofthe rod elements are exaggerated, with respect to the over-allproportion, for clarity of illustration.

3,139,185 Patented June 30, 1964 FIG. 2 is a fragmentary verticalcross-section taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a detail view of a simple hinge connection which theconstruction permits.

FIG. 4 is a detail view of the simple latching connection which theconstruction permits.

FIG. 5 is a detail view, broken away, of the simple connection betweentop and bottom sections of the display tower.

Referring to the drawings, the display tower shown is made up ofhorizontally and vertically extending rods welded together to providepanels in which the horizon tally and vertically extending rods or rodsections define open sub-panels through which balls or other similarrollable and flowable merchandise may be viewed. The proportions of thesub-panels are selected to provide openings which will not permit thesmallest size articles intended to be displayed to pass through thesub-panels but otherwise to provide a maximum opening area for viewingthe merchandise.

As indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the display is comprised of a fence unit10, a lower tower section 20, and an upper tower section 30. The fenceunit 10 is comprised of four equal panels 11, 12, 13, and 14 having ahinge connection between successive panels and a latch connectionbetween the first panel 11 and the last panel 14. Suflicient lost motionis provided in the hinge connections to permit the panels to be foldedrelatively flat against each other in order to collapse them forshipping and storage purposes. When panels 11 and 14 are connected bythe latching means, the panels define a quadrilateral access area. Thevertical height of the panels 11 to 14, inclusive, is selected to retainin the display area the largest balls or other items intended to bedisplayed.

Within the access area defined by the fence unit 10 stands the lowertower section 20 comprised of panels 21, 22, 23, and 24. These panelsare connected to each other by intermediate hinge connections andprovided with latch connections between the end panels 21 and 24. As inthe case of the fence unit 10, the hinge connections provide sufficientlost motion to permit the panels to be collapsed fiat against eachother. The latch connections, when engaged, allow the panels 21 to 24,inclusive, to define a volume having a quadrilateral plan area.

The lower tower section 20 is supported at its corners above the accessarea by legs attached adjacent its corners so that the lowest rods ofthe panels 21 to 24, inclusive, and the legs constitute gates throughwhich balls may roll freely from the central portion of the access areaunder the tower section 20.

In the welded rod construction shown, it has been found most convenientto mount the legs in pairs on opposite panels. One such pair of legs 41and 42 are shown connected to the lower corners of the panel 21 and oneleg 43 of the opposing pair is shown connected to the lowest horizontalend of the panel 23. (For clarity of illustration, the fourth leg 44 hasbeen omitted in FIG. 1.)

The lower tower section 20 supports and retains, by suitable connectors,the upper tower section 30 comprised of panels 31, 32, 33, and 34connected by intermediate hinge units to permit flat folding of thepanels with respect to each other. As in the case of the above-disclosedfence and lower tower sections, the panels 31 and 34 are connectable toeach other by suitable latch units which, when engaged, cause the uppertower section to define a volume having a quadrilateral plan area.

A preferred hinge connection 5%) for the panels con-v structed of weldedrods is shown in detail in FIG. 3. A horizontal rod of a panel extendsbeyond the outermost vertically extending rod of the panel and is formedinto a loop 51. A corresponding horizontal rod of an adjacent panel isthen formed into a loop 52 linked into the loop. In the panels of thetower sections 29 and 39, it is preferable to so form all horizontalrods of the panels into such hinges 5h intermediate the panels in orderto carry the appreciable outward loads on the panels. In the fencesection 10, where the outward load on the panels is less, one such hingeconnection between successive panels is usually sufiicient.

In order to connect the first and last of the intermediately hingedpanels in a section, the rod construction employed permits the use of asimple latch 6% as shown in detail in FIG. 4. A horizontal rod of onepanel is formed into a keeper loop 61, extending beyond an outermostvertical rod. The end of a corresponding horizontal rod of an adjacentpanel is bent in a plane transverse to that of the keeper loop 61 inorder to provide a bolt 62 which is insertable into the loop 61 to latchend panels of a section together. An advantage of this type of latch isthat it connects the end panels so that they are pivoted with respect toeach other and, accordingly, the number of latches 68 between end panelsin a section preferably corresponds to the number of hinges 5i) employedin the intermediate joints between panels of a section.-

The welded rod construction likewise permits the use of very simpleconnectors between tower sections 29 and 30. As shown in FIG. 5,adjacent horizontal rods of the sections rest upon each other and areprevented from moving laterally by extending detents '7 d alternatelylocated on opposite sides of the congruent horizontal rods. As shown inFIG. 5, such alternately located detents '73 are welded to the top rodof the lower tower section 20 to include the bottom rod of the uppertower section. Such alternately and oppositely located detents may becarried by the upper section or some detents may be carried by onesection and other detents by the other section, so long as the detentsare located to restrain lateral movement of the tower sections withrespect to each other.

As shown, the tower sections define and include a truncated pyramidalvolume open at the top for the simultaneous and simple filling of anumber of balls into the display by a stock clerk. Although a four-sidedpyramid is disclosed, the number of sides of the truncated pyramid mayvary from three to any desired number of sides up to and including atruncated cone. Also, the slope ofthe sides of the pyramid may vary fromvertical to the maximum permitted by the desired height and the topopening, which should be large enough to permit the largest balls to bedisplayed to be loaded through a top opening. A slope of the sides fromvertical is preferred in order to create actual as well as an appearanceof stability and sturdiness when the display is filled with merchandise.

The height of the display is usually selected so that its upper portionis usually well above the counters, shelves, and cases in which othermerchandise is displayed in a store. This not only attracts attention ofcustomers and permits a large number of balls to be displayed inrelation to the counter space occupied, but also serves as areadily-seen indicator to stock clerks, i.e., when the level of balls inthe display falls from sight or below a given horizontal rod, itconstitutes an indication that a new supply of balls should be loadedinto the display.

When the fence section It) and tower sections 2% and 30 are erected andassembled, as described above, upon a counter or display stand surface,the several sections, due to the loose hinge and latch connection, will,when empty, as shown in FIG. 1, be relatively unstable and shifty.However, when a supply of balls is poured into the tower sectionsthrough the opening defined by the upper horizontal rods of the section30 until the balls flow out into the perimeter of the access area andthe volume of at least the lower tower section 20 is filled, the outwardpressure of the balls takes up the slack in the hinge and latchconnections between the panels and also urges the several panels toassume their maximum volume,

i.e., urges the panels into right angles with each other when thesections are comprised of four equal panels. In some instances themerchant may wish to stabilize the display by stapling or otherwisesecuring the fence section and legs of the lower tower section to thecounter or display stand surface, but ordinarily this is superfluouswhen the display is stabilized by its contents.

FIG. 2 also illustrates the manner in which the display operates todiscourage shop-lifting and return of handled merchandise whilepresenting the merchandise in a conveniently accessible fashion. Whenone of the balls in the perimeter of the display area, say the ball B,is picked up, the commotion which may be immediately created among theballs displayed within the tower discourages surreptitious taking of themerchandise. And while stock clerks may conveniently load merchandisethrough the top opening by use of ladders, step stools, and the like,the top opening is preferably located above the reach of the customer.Thus, the replacement of a ball taken from the perimeter of the accessarea by a customer by another ball flowing into the access area from thelower tower section 26, together with the consequent difficulty offorcing a ball in the perimeter back through the gate and up into thetower section, discourages the return of the merchandise after it hasonce been taken from the display.

It should be apparent from the foregoing that this invention is notlimited to the specific embodiment shown but, within the scope of thefollowing claims, may be varied and modified to accommodate displays asdefined therein to specific uses and needs.

What is claimed is:

1. A display for balls and like merchandise unlikely to becomeself-entangled, which is adapted to be placed on counters and likehorizontal access surfaces in order to present specimens of displayedmerchandise for access by custorne'rs comprising a central towerstructure whose height is greater than its maximum transverse horizontaldimension, said tower being constructed of an outer wall confining themerchandise haphazardly within the volume defined by said outer wall ofthe tower structure, an opening in an upper portion of said towerstructure to permit merchandise to be loaded therein, openings in theouter wall of said tower structure to permit merchandise incontacttherewith to be viewed though said openings, said tower structurehaving an open bottom, means supporting said tower structure above asubstantially horizontal access surface to provide a gate. between thebottom of said tower structure and said access surface wherebymerchandise placed within said tower will be permitted to pass out ofsaid tower onto a portion of said access surface constituting ahorizontal margin extending outside said tower supporting means, and afence structure defining said margin and restricting free movement ofmerchandise beyond such margin under the influence of the weight ofmerchandise within said tower structure.

2. A display as defined in claim 1 in which the wall of said towerstructure extends upwardly in a direction which may vary from verticalto inwardly from the said open bottom to permit free flow of any articleof merchandise within said tower, except as restrained by the presenceof other articles of merchandise, toward said bottom opening. 7

3. A display as defined in claim 2 in which said walls are comprised ofa plurality of panel portions, hinge means connecting adjacent panelportions and providing suificient lost motion to permit said structureto be collapsed into a relatively flat condition for shipment andstorage, said hinge means being located along vertically extending edgesof adjacent panel portions whereby outward pressure of merchandisewithin said tower structure will urge said panels outwardly to definethe maximum plan area permitted by the circumferential length thereofand, thereby, tend to stabilize said tower structure.

4. A display structure as defined in claim 3, in which a horizontal tierof a plurality of adjacent panels are connected by hinge means and thehinge means connecting one pair of panels in the tier are disconnectablelatch means comprising a keeper connected to panels and a bolt pivotallyand removably secured in said keeper.

5. A display structure as defined in claim 4 in which said towerstructure comprises a plurality of super-imposed sections, meansconnecting said sections, and the opening for filling merchandise insaid tower structure is an open top of the uppermost section.

6. A display for merchandising balls and adapted to be mounted on astructure providing a horizontal access surface in order to presentspecimen balls for access by customers comprising a vertically extendingfence structure carried by said access surface and defining a horizontalaccess area beyond which said fence restrains said balls from rolling, atower structure separable said access area and fence structure andconsisting of vertically extending wall panels each having a verticalheight greater than its horizontal width, and hingedly connected attheir vertically extending edges to define a volume adapted to be filledwith haphazardly arranged balls, said panels thereby providing as a topopening through which balls may be loaded into said tower structure andan open bottom symmetrically arranged with respect to said top opening,through which open bottom a ball within said tower structure, except asrestrained by other balls, will be free to fall onto said access surfaceand, except as further restrained by means for supporting said towerstructure, be free to roll toward said fence structure, said towerstructure having a lower edge of a length of at least a plurality ofdiameters of the largest ball intended to be displayed in said towerstructure and means to support said tower structure so that said bottomedge is raised above said access area a vertical distance greater thansaid ball diameter but less than twice said diameter to provide a gatehaving a horizontal opening at least equal to a plurality of saiddiameters, said bottom opening being supported above and being of lessarea than said access area, whereby any one of a plurality of ballsbeneath said tower structure will be free, except as otherwiserestrained by adjacent balls and said support means, to roll throughsaid gate onto a margin of said access area located outside said bottomopening when space for such a ball is provided by removal of anotherball from said margin, and said open bottom having an area at least aslarge as said top opening whereby, except for the influence of otherballs contained in said tower structure, any ball loaded within saidtower may fall freely into said access area.

7. In a ball display device in which a tower section is provided with avertically extending wall portion terminating in a horizontal upperedge, said lower section being provided with gate portions permittingballs held therein to roll outwardly onto outer access portions fromwhich a ball may be removed for purchase, a demountable upper sectionconsisting essentially of a plurality of normally vertically extendingpanels and means hingedly connecting each panel to an adjacent panelalong vertically extending adjacent edges, the lower edges of saidconnected panels being equal in length and configuration to the upperedge of said lower section and said hinges being located to permit saidupper section to be placed on said upper section so that the lower edgesof said panels of said upper section may rest in a congruent position onsaid upper edge of said lower section, and detent means to hold saidupper section from slipping off said lower section when so placedthereon, whereby the total height of the display device will be greaterthan the largest transverse horizontal dimension of said lower section.

8. A ball display device as defined in claim 7, in which the verticallyextending wall portion of said lower section is comprised of at leastthree panels joined along adjacent edges and each panel being of arectangular or trapezoidal shape to provide said wall portion with aslope which may be vertical or upwardly convergent and in which saidpanels of said upper section are similar in number to correspondingpanels in said lower section and the vertically extending edges of saidpanels in said upper section constitute linear extensions ofcorresponding vertically extending edges of said panels in said lowersection whereby, when said upper section is mounted on said lowersection, each panel in said upper section provides, in combination withits corresponding panel in said lower section, a continuous wall havinga slope which permits a ball confined within said upper section to fallfreely into said lower section, except as such ball may be otherwisesolely constrained by adjacent balls in said upper section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS329,029 Dye Oct. 27, 1885 1,833,857 Ruse Nov. 24, 1931 2,221,704 FarleyNov. 12, 1940 2,333,954 Rocker et al. Nov. 9, 1943 2,554,232 Young May22, 1951 2,756,901 Cowsert July 31, 1956 2,940,642 Strattman June 14,1960

1. A DISPLAY FOR BALLS AND LIKE MERCHANDISE UNLIKELY TO BECOMESELF-ENTANGLED, WHICH IS ADAPTED TO BE PLACED ON COUNTERS AND LIKEHORIZONTAL ACCESS SURFACES IN ORDER TO PRESENT SPECIMENS OF DISPLAYEDMERCHANDISE FOR ACCESS BY CUSTOMERS COMPRISING A CENTRAL TOWER STRUCTUREWHOSE HEIGHT IS GREATER THAN ITS MAXIMUM TRANSVERSE HORIZONTALDIMENSION, SAID TOWER BEING CONSTRUCTED OF AN OUTER WALL CONFINING THEMERCHANDISE HAPHAZARDLY WITHIN THE VOLUME DEFINED BY SAID OUTER WALL OFTHE TOWER STRUCTURE, AN OPENING IN AN UPPER PORTION OF SAID TOWERSTRUCTURE TO PERMIT MERCHANDISE TO BE LOADED THEREIN, OPENINGS IN THEOUTER WALL OF SAID TOWER STRUCTURE TO PERMIT MERCHANDISE IN CONTACTTHEREWITH TO BE VIEWED THOUGH SAID OPENINGS, SAID TOWER STRUCTURE HAVINGAN OPEN BOTTOM, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID TOWER STRUCTURE ABOVE ASUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL ACCESS SURFACE TO PROVIDE A GATE BETWEEN THEBOTTOM OF SAID TOWER STRUCTURE AND SAID ACCESS SURFACE WHEREBYMERCHANDISE PLACED WITHIN SAID TOWER WILL BE PERMITTED TO PASS OUT OFSAID TOWER ONTO A PORTION OF SAID ACCESS SURFACE CONSTITUTING AHORIZONTAL MARGIN EXTENDING OUTSIDE SAID TOWER SUPPORTING MEANS, AND AFENCE STRUCTURE DEFINING SAID MARGIN AND RESTRICTING FREE MOVEMENT OFMERCHANDISE BEYOND SUCH MARGIN UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE WEIGHT OFMERCHANDISE WITHIN SAID TOWER STRUCTURE.